


For the Forgotten Ones

by anderao



Category: Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
Genre: F/M, Gen, to clarify the relationship between the two women is friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-06
Updated: 2020-01-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:40:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22139467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anderao/pseuds/anderao
Summary: This is a scene that I imagined to occur after Charlotte marries Mr. Collins but before Elizabeth goes to visit her. It's an exploration of Charlotte's motivations and disappointments. I really like Charlotte so I wrote this for her :)
Relationships: Elizabeth Bennet & Charlotte Lucas, William Collins/Charlotte Lucas
Comments: 9
Kudos: 39





	For the Forgotten Ones

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: All credits to Austen.

Charlotte Lucas was come to visit Lucas Lodge for the first time since her marriage. Her youngest sister, Susan, had come down with a sudden illness and though everyone was certain the child would mend quickly and that there was ‘no need for Charlotte to trouble herself,’ Charlotte had paid them no heed. A longing for family and friends had lately overcome her. Coupled with the news of Susan, she became quite determined to make her way home. Her husband, alas, was otherwise engaged with his sermons and his Lady Catherine--quite precluding the possibility of him taking a vacation. His wife was, necessarily, not overly troubled by this necessity. 

Elizabeth Bennet, for her part, was excited to have her friend back. Regular correspondence with each other over the last few weeks had done much to ease the awkwardness that had prevailed at first. Now there was only a quiet sense of warmth between them. 

As it happened, by the time Charlotte reached home, Susan had already healed up quite nicely. This left Charlotte, fortunately, in the position to make merry and be lively with her family instead. After a morning and afternoon spent in such a manner, Elizabeth along with Mrs. Bennet and her other three daughters arrived at the doors of Lucas Lodge. After the inquiries of health, the road and other niceties, Charlotte and Elizabeth managed to find some relative peace in a corner of the drawing room. 

The former then turned to the latter and said, with a small smile, “And how have you been faring dear Elizabeth? Already forgotten about me, I suppose?” 

Elizabeth returned the smile and warmly said, “I should think I would forget about my arm first before I forgot you.” 

“What a sorry comparison to make when not one person pays any attention at all to their arm.” 

“Yes, but the absence of an arm is keenly felt, is it not? I go to turn to you, to share a circumstance, to tell a joke and I am only reminded of your loss.” 

“Perhaps I was wrong and you flatter me too much instead of too little. But. It is a strange enough compliment so I will receive it.” 

“How generous you have become,” said Elizabeth laughing, “but tell me of you, Charlotte. Let us not speak of me.” 

Here Charlotte turned a discerning eye onto her companion. “Whatever for? Is it because you have been slighted in love and cannot bear to speak of it? According to Mary, the affair has been rather scandalous and she grieves for you most dearly.” 

“Leave it to your sister to be so moved by others’ ‘love affairs.’ I am afraid, though, I will have to disappoint you by contradicting her report. There has been no such scandal. I am perfectly slight free. You shall nevertheless have to console Mary, of course,” Elizabeth said with a mischievous shake of her eyebrows. 

A look of disbelief crossed Charlotte’s face. “Come, Lizzy, do not act coy now. Mary may feel a little too strongly but she’s no fool. You know, I myself have seen something of your manner with Wickham.” 

“My manner? The plain truth is, Wickham, by all appearances, is likely to marry Ms. King, a girl who, unfortunately, has not much to recommend herself besides a small fortune. Others seem to think that I have been thrown over in the process. But I have been always quite safe from those concerns. ” 

Charlotte could not mirror Elizabeth’s light heartedness. “It would be dishonest of me to say that I am sorry his attentions towards you have stopped when I feel no such thing. You already know my feelings concerning that matter. I do however wonder at your apparent contentment. Surely this was an occasion for pain, or at the very least, resentment?” 

“I suppose the truth is in the reaction. Because I do not feel pain, the occasion must not have been capable of engendering it. In other words, I was never much in love with Wickham. Nor can I in good conscience resent him. His manners made clear to me that had I fortune enough, I would be his first choice. That is quite sufficient admiration for me.” With a laugh, she added, “what Mary and my dear sisters fail to understand is that handsome young men must have something to live on as well as the plain.” 

Charlotte appeared uneasy, and looking away said. “At the risk of offending you, Lizzy, I must say I find your words quite odd. You were very clear in my denouncement when I married for prudence, but quite easily overlook a similar transgression from Wickham. What am I to make of that?” 

Elizabeth’s response was a shocked expression. After some silence and a deeply red face, she said, “I confess, I did not think of the situations as alike. I feel a lot strongly towards you than I have ever felt for Wickham and so...” 

“No, I am sorry but that seems incorrect to me. My marriage was everything abhorrent to you though my circumstances should have called you to reason. Wickham’s circumstances are what exactly? He has no sisters waiting for marriage, no younger brothers who fear he will very quickly become a burden, no parents who have thought he is one since birth. He has gainful employment, in which, with hard work and time, he is guaranteed to make something of himself. Nor is he plain, or should I say, nor is he a plain woman, or even a plain, aging woman! But you nevertheless excuse his mercenary ways, eschewing logic and compassion in the process. All because you find him pleasing and he finds you so?” 

Charlotte then paused, collected her rising tone with no small embarrassment and said, “I made the best of what I had, Lizzy. Can your Wickham say the same?” 

Here the pair were interrupted by Charlotte’s mother, who commanded the two to share in the admiration of some new finery of Mary’s. Both were relieved to quit the current mode of conversation though some form or another of mortification remained with both. 

Charlotte was mortified at how much bitterness had quickly and unexpectedly arisen within her. She had thought that they had both successfully resolved that particular argument once Elizabeth had apologized. But clearly, Elizabeth’s rejection of her and her choices still smarted. And now there was more to consider. Now, there were double standards and Elizabeth’s blindness when it came to a silly man. And the absolute fact that no one ever had any sympathy to spare for women while they had overflowing arms of excuses to bestow on men. No consideration even for the fact that the former were decidedly more constrained by a conspiring society. 

And this all smarted her the more since she had lately come to feel something like regret for her decision. When Charlotte had agreed to the marriage, her home, over the years, had transformed from a refuge to the very source of trouble. Resentment seemed present in all corners. Talk of her marriage came up at all times of the day, to the point where she felt as uneasy when it was not mentioned as she did when it was. Thus, when a man had shown some faint inclination towards her, she had seized the lifeline, believing it her absolute right to do so. It was her God given right to put her mind at rest. The foolishness of her husband was clearly apparent to her but she had seen enough of men to know that most were quite foolish anyway. Neither did the fanciful notion of marriage as “the source of all happiness” do much to stop her. As far as she was concerned, marriage was a needed arrangement between two parties. To expect much or even, everything, was best left to naive people who could afford their naivete. 

Most importantly, she had gone into it convinced that, whatever her circumstances, she would make do. She was of a hardy, practical sort. But her hardiness seemed in doubt with each passing day. Collins got more and more unbearable, and to spend a lifetime with him, though he would largely be on the periphery, seemed a lifetime too long. The sight of his clothing, his used dishes, the dirt he tracked in—every signifier of his presence irked her. 

And that’s how Charlotte found herself sometimes wondering--should she have fought for more? Should she have attempted to find independence on her own, instead of merely thinking about it? A governess position had been possible. But a life spent running after children was hardly a life she could desire. A writing position had also been possible but it was hardly lucrative enough to live off on. 

There was nothing left, save throw everything to the wind, and take her chances in the countryside. But even there, where was land for her? Everything had been carved away, the air purchased, sunlight bottled. And so she had “chosen” Collins, as much as she could have chosen anything. 

But Lizzy, young, and beautiful and charming, could not understand this. She could not understand the constraints of a friend who had always been plain, in looks and manner alike--a friend who had never attracted much attention. But Charlotte herself understood. And that was enough.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all for reading! And thanks for the kudos/comment for those who left them! I appreciate it.


End file.
